


Anchor

by xJadedGurlx



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 09:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2462573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJadedGurlx/pseuds/xJadedGurlx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jackson's first full moon after becoming a werewolf.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers up through "Master Plan." Written for the 'Missing Moments' challenge at Beacon Hills on LJ

Jackson killed his car’s engine and stepped out of the vehicle. He would travel the rest of the way to the Hale house on foot through the woods of Beacon Hills. As he walked through the trees he looked up at the setting sun. Tonight would be the first full moon since Jackson had become a werewolf.

All day he had felt the itching under his skin that foreshadowed the transformation to take place that night. He’d been distracted in school and extra aggressive during lacrosse practice.

Now, he was to meet Derek—‘his Alpha’, he thought to himself—outside Derek’s old home shortly before the moon rose in the sky. Tonight would be about learning control.

“You’re late” said Derek gruffly as Jackson stepped in sight of the dilapidated house.

Jackson winced. “Sorry” he said. The Beta in him hated to disappoint his Alpha. At the same time, he couldn’t regret the time he’d spent with Lydia; he’d found it extremely hard to part with her this evening. ‘Probably another part of the wolf’ he thought.

“C’mon” said Derek, heading off away from the house at a jog, glancing over his shoulder briefly to make sure Jackson was following. The teenager followed obediently.

Soon the two left the woods behind. After running for about 20 minutes, they came to a tunnel, part of what used to be the Beacon Hills Railroad.

Derek led the way down into the tunnel. Coming out on the other side, Jackson recognized his surroundings as the old train repair station where Derek’s pack had once tried to determine if Jackson was the Kanima.

“This is where you train your Betas?” Jackson asked incredulously.

“What’s the matter, not fancy enough for you?”

“Don’t you think the abandoned lair is a little cliché? I mean, you already live in a haunted house.”

Derek growled under his breath in response. He began sorting through a box on the floor, pulling out lengths of chains. Jackson gulped when he saw a piece of headgear that looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. He was relieved when Derek left that in the box.

“Less than 10 minutes until moonrise” said Derek, checking his watch. “Damn, we’re cutting it close. Better get you chained up, fast.”

“Chained up?” said Jackson

“These aren’t just for decoration. When the moon rises, you’re going to want to tear everyone in your sight to shreds. And then you’re going to want to do the same to yourself. Now, get in there” said Derek, pointing at a train car that had long since been forgotten about.

Jackson climbed inside the car and looked around. It had obviously seen better days. Not only was it rusting, but poles had been pulled out of place and seats had been torn to pieces. There were scratch marks everywhere. ‘Probably the remnants of Derek’s previous Betas’ thought Jackson, his mind momentarily drifting to thoughts of Erica and Boyd. After a month, there was still no indication of where the two missing Betas where.

As Jackson stood in a relatively undamaged part of the car, Derek began wrapping chains around his legs and arms and securing them to poles. “Now, when the moon rises, it’s important to focus on your anchor.”

“My anchor?” asked Jackson.

Derek sighed. “You know… your anchor. Whatever reminds you of who you really are.”

“Oh” said Jackson, wondering if he even had an anchor. “Derek?”

“What?” said Derek, an edge to his voice.

“What’s your anchor?”

“Anger” said Derek, securing the last chain in place.

“Anger” said Jackson. Jackson had always had plenty of that. He began making a list of all the things he had to be angry about: the death of his parents, having to be co-captain with Scott McCall, becoming the Kanima when all he wanted was to be a werewolf…

At that moment, the moon rose, and all thoughts flew out of Jackson’s head. He screamed as he felt parts of his head reshape into inhuman features. He could feel the hair growing from the side of his face.

But those feelings were pushed to the back of Jackson’s mind. Because all the new werewolf could think about was breaking free of the bonds that held him and ripping apart the being that stood before him.

Derek had, wisely, moved to the other end of the car before Jackson began transforming. Now, he stood before Jackson, watching the Beta thrash about. Jackson snarled and lunged for the Alpha he no longer recognized.

Derek’s eyes turned red and he snarled, just loud enough to catch the other wolf’s attention. When he saw the teenager’s eyes focus on him, Derek said “Find your anchor Jackson. Find it and grab on to it.”

Through the animalistic desire that overwhelmed him, Jackson managed to latch onto only one thought: red.

Red hair, and pink lips, and the smell of strawberries, and an irresistible laugh, and a sexy body, and a brilliant mind.

‘Lydia’ thought Jackson. Lydia, who had saved him once before.

Slowly, the Beta felt himself returning to normal. His body was still under the power of the moon, but his mind was somewhat his own. He gripped tight to the image of the girl he loved and didn’t let go.

Hours later, when the moon had set and Jackson was once again free from its control, Derek began unchaining the young man. “Looks like you found your anchor” said the Alpha, smiling a proud smile.


End file.
